Author's Note: Happy New Year! I usually pride myself on keeping the characters strictly true to how they act in the show, but I may have mixed in a little Gambit charm for our dear old Tim. Hope y'all enjoy it!
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When she stopped the car and removed the keys from the ignition, Gwen practically leapt out of the car, bypassing the door. Behind her she reached out with her right wrist bent, pressing a button on her key ring that locked the doors and raised the roof of her convertible. Tim had managed to get out just in time to not get stuck inside a boiling car with leather seats in this hot October sun. He shot her an unappreciative glare from behind that Gwen saw in his reflection in the restaurant windows, but she chose to ignore it. Her favorite person in the entire world had traveled thousands of miles just to see her and she only had eyes for him.
"Well I've got some business to take care of," Tim said, gesturing to the pool tables set up in the restaurant. "Come get me when you're finished. You still owe me a set of car keys, darlin'." Business indeed, if Tim Riggins' idea of business included illegal gambling. She supposed that money was tight for him with the broken down truck he drove. Gwen didn't respond though. She only had eyes for the once-familiar boy sitting at a booth over in the corner, some red-headed poptart blabbering on about something while his eyes searched the room, presumably for her.
Even from the door she had spotted him immediately even if he didn't notice her, looking no worse for wear despite the radical changes in his appearance. His hair had changed to a sandy brown hair growing too long for his forehead and tossed to one side, showing his brilliant blue eyes that she loved so dearly. Clearly it had to be his natural color due to the length of his hair; vaguely she recalled him mention being on an environmental kick. That stemmed the beating that had intensified in her heart, a relief to know that the drastic change in his appearance had a legitimate, Grayson-like reason. Chemicals from hair dye and hair wax going down the drain wouldn't be his style if he'd committed to being an environmentalist.
"Hi, you big dummy, you didn't have to fly all the way out here to just see me! You didn't get too bored waiting around here did you?" The sound of her voice across the room caused him to look up and grin, finally spotting her. He stood from his seat in the booth and held his arms out to her. Nearly jumping into his arms she wrapped hers around his neck, snuggling right into place on his shoulder. She could feel his arms wrap around her torso, holding tightly around the smallest part of her waist. The warmth from his body reminded her that yes, he was really there and she wasn't just dreaming at all.
"Nah, not at all. Abbie and I have just been, uh, 'observing' the locals. Take for one the old fat guy at the bar, tossing back fingers of whiskey at this time in the morning," he said pulling back, pointing to the large guy sitting at the bar who just happened to be... yup, Buddy Garrity. She wasn't too surprised considering she imagined him being in the scenario, but really, he made far less of a villain or a potential victim sitting there by his lonesome trying to drown away the rest of the world. Gwen refocused her attention on Grayson. Abbie? Who was Abbie, the red-head? If he'd just met her, then wouldn't he not call her by her nickname?
"Abbie?" she echoed, not entirely too sure to whom Grayson referred to. The puzzled look on her face must've told him that she had no idea what he was talking about. He had a bit of a sheepish, guilty look on his face, not one he'd have about some random girl that had decided to sit down and talk to him. Raising an eyebrow at him she looked over at the red head, who'd moved to stand up from the booth. Only she wasn't walking away. No... she was slipping her arm in through his, leaning her head against his shoulder, giving her a smug grin.
"She's why I needed to come here; I wanted to tell you first. Abbie and I are engaged, and I was hoping you'd be in the wedding." The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Married? Grayson? To a girl he'd never even mentioned before? A delirious feeling she'd gotten when she'd hugged him now did a one eighty. His words hit her like a ton of bricks. Had she really been so foolish to think that maybe he still loved her the way she loved him?
"Oh, uh, congratulations," she stammered, not really sure what to say. Luckily, she didn't have to worry too much. A strong arm had snaked around her waist, resting there comfortably. Looking to her right, she saw that Tim had decided to play knight in shining armor, or something. His hazel eyes gazed down at her adoringly, making sure to stop on every inch of her curves, not unlike before. Only this time, she felt a tingle up her spine, as compared to the creepy-crawlers she felt before. Why was he bothering to do this? Well, whatever the reason, she was certainly glad to have the response to Grayson's betrayal at her side, ready to play with her hair and do other boyfriendly things.
"Hi sexy, want to introduce me to your friends?" She felt his lips kiss her cheek, his long hair brushing her skin. His hazel eyes had broken from her quickly, like he'd forgotten that she was speaking to people in front of her for a second. Damn he was good. She'd played a decent amount of roles in her life, but never as falsely as Tim. A couple minutes ago he was annoyed with her for tossing his keys down the drain and almost locking him in the car, and now all of a sudden he seemed like he had fallen madly, head over heels for her. From what she'd gathered, Tim wasn't the falling in love type.
"I thought you were playing pool with your friend honey?" she asked him, keeping with the act. Grinning up at him, she snuggled in closer to him. If he could act like he didn't hate her, well she could do it too. She gave him her most adoring look ever, pretending that he and not the monster in the grips of the harpy in front of her occupied the center of her heart. She squeezed his hand tighter and leaned her head into his shoulder, content to be Tim Riggins' girlfriend for the time being.
"Nah, Saracen couldn't make it. Thought I'd walk over and join my favorite new girl," he said, a brilliant white smile flashing to his features. Reaching over seamlessly, Tim managed to lace his long thick fingers through hers, rubbing his thumb gently over the side of hers. The attention to detail made her think that he either had a really good grasp on the situation, or he'd just been at the whole "make girls fall in love with me" thing for far too long. But if he tried any funny stuff she was planning on kicking him in the balls. Gwen didn't return regular favors with sexual ones, regardless of how big of a favor it was.
"You mean your only girl?" she asked, a flirtatious smile spreading across her lips as she said the words. Damn he was good at acting. She could see the distaste on Grayson's face, the near-disgust he had in his eyes. Good, well he hadn't given all control from his brain to his dick. She was certain now that the hair color hadn't come from his environmental stance but the bimbo on his arm. While she was still in Seattle he wouldn't have given a girl like this a second look. In fact she was exactly what he'd hated back then, the product of popular society created by corporate millionaires. What had happened to her Grayson over the past couple of years... well, it certainly hadn't shown in his e-mails.
"Can I speak to you? Outside?" Grayson asked her, trying to catch her eyes from the gooey stare she'd put on, for his... well, benefit she supposed, though she didn't think so much that it was a benefit for him as compared to a benefit for her. Gwen looked up at him as if being interrupted from a book, allowing her eyes to clear for a second. She tilted her head as if surprised, and then gently unwrapped Tim's fingers from hers. Gwen simply nodded to Grayson, not allowing her face to reveal anything, and looked instead back to Tim.
"I'll be right back Tim. By the way, Abigail, Tim, Tim, Abigail. I'm sure you can find something to talk about." Gwen stretched up and kissed him on his scruffy cheek before turning on her heel to follow Grayson out of the glass doors of the restaurant. She spied Tyra as she walked past, dressed in her uniform. The blonde gave her a questioning look and she shook her head, as if to explain that she barely knew what was going on herself. As she stepped out in the Texas afternoon sun, she almost wished she were back up north, in Boston, where it was the other way around. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she could handle the external heat already on top of the burning in her chest, and her cheeks, and her throat as she tried to keep from crying now that she was outside and away from the safety of Tim's charade.
"Gwen, you're not okay with this, I can tell. I'm your best friend. I was hoping that you'd moved on too in LA, and all you can come up with is this blockhead football player you met a few days ago? I know this is a surprise, that you're upset, but you have to move on. Seattle is years behind us," he said, stuffing his hands in his pocket. No, Seattle was what she clinged to every night, that gave her a sense of home in Grayson's track hoodie. It reminded her of him, of the good times they'd had together, and of the fact that she'd somehow managed to get him to use his talents at running in something constructive instead of something like shoplifting. Though now she realized that she hadn't changed his mindset; no, her only accomplishment had been to get him to be complacent to her wishes. She doubted he'd even stayed on the team as he'd claimed after she left.
"Did you really come all the way here to Texas just to insult me? And FYI Grayse, never liked you that way. Thought the whole thing was as much of a joke as you did. And you have no right to talk about Tim that way. I may have only known him a few days, but I like him a lot. More than I've ever liked anyone that way. And sorry, I've got way too much on my plate to make your teenaged wedding," she said bitingly, even though she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her brain screaming at her for the lies. Her pulse raced through the veins in her wrist and she could hear her blood rushing in her ears. It was the least she could do to retain the stony face, stony stance and not fall to the ground crying.
"What's happened to you? You've been gone for four days and already you're a Texas bitch? Or had L.A. really changed you and I just didn't see it?" he asked her, shaking his head angrily. Gwen didn't care what he thought of her though. She just stood, looking expressionless at him. Had she really become so hardened that she couldn't feel anything? No, she could feel it alright, storing up in the pit of her stomach. But she couldn't show him, couldn't reveal everything to him as she had over the years. Sighing in frustration, Grayson shook his head and headed back inside at a quickened pace, and Gwen followed him in, walking much slower and calmly.
"Come on Abs, we should probably get going." he said as they returned, grabbing the red head's hand with some urgency. "Grab your purse." The redhead with the tiny pink tank top and obviously lacy push-up bra seemed dumbfounded, surprised almost, and quickly wiped the grin she'd had on her face from talking to Tim off of it. Good job Tim, way to expose that slut for what she really was. Gwen wrapped herself around Tim in a way not unlike Abigail had done to Grayson only, what, minutes before? It felt like an eternity.
"It was so nice to meet you," Gwen drawled in her sugar-coated voice. "So nice. Tim, you wanna stay and get something to eat?" She pushed Tim gently into the booth with a grin, and rested her head on his shoulder. Her own hazel eyes looked up at Grayson once more, and waved to him, with the most steel-like look in her eyes. That was the only real emotion she'd shown to him this whole time, the hurt in her eyes, the anger she felt for him springing this on her. She had still hoped that there was some time for them, some way for them. But clearly fate had other ideas in mind.
"Why'd you do it?" she asked him in a low voice as her eyes followed Grayson out of the door, his hand still in the redhead's, never looking back. She however, glanced back with a death stare at Gwen and she just winked back at her with a big grin. "Y'all have a nice trip back now, ya hear?" she said, calling after the red head who turned around quickly, surprised that Gwen had caught her looking. Turning her head back to Tim, she looked at his hazel eyes that were really close to her own.
"Had to return the favor. You fixed my ex-girlfriend's car for no reason at all. I don't like owing people," he said, leaning his head back against the booth. "Besides, can't hurt to be friends with the richest girl in town if I ever need a place to crash," he said, nudging her, though she gathered that he was joking. Well, he'd already slept over her house once, and her father seemed to like him. Couldn't hurt if he wanted to hide out in that damned mansion with her again. Gwen ran her fingers through her hair and returned her head to his shoulder, not wanting to move or do anything for the rest of her natural life.
"Tim?" she asked as he started to shift, keeping her head on his shoulder. She knew he wanted to move, but she didn't want him to, not just yet. Her eyes closed as she swallowed, both literally and metaphorically, her pride. Though she never liked to show signs of weakness, never liked to give in to her own emotions, sometimes it just came out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"Do you think you could not move for a second? It would be nice to pretend for a few minutes longer that you actually love me and that my life means something more than just becoming the cog in the corporate machine I'm expected to be. Please," she said, her voice cracking for a minute. Under her head she could feel him settle, his shoulder slipping back into place. Then she felt the unexpected when he reached up to tousle her hair, affectionately. Gwen could feel the hot tears already filling the rims of her eyelids start to spill over, streaming down her cheeks through the corners of her shut lids, and for a few minutes she pretended that Tim Riggins could fill the place that Grayson had held in her overactive imagination so long.
"I'm worthless you know. All this money, and utterly worthless. I don't have a soul on this planet that actually cares- I move around so much that I never build meaningful relationships, my father doesn't give a shit about who I am only what I am, and the one person I thought actually cared just told me that he's getting married to a girl he never even mentioned before, so he obviously doesn't care. What place in this world is there for someone who no one cares about?"
"Shhh... Right here darlin', with all the other misfits," he replied, and leaned into her, resting the side of his jaw on the top of her head, like a protective big brother, or how she'd imagined one would act. "Welcome home."